Admissions Requirements

To apply to the graduate program, students must submit the Virginia Tech Graduate School online application.

Domestic Application

*Fall: August 1

International Application

*Fall: April 1

*Deadline for admission with full consideration for funding: January 15

Admissions Requirements

General Requirement

To be considered for master's program, applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with minimum of 3.0 GPA.

Accelerated B.S.-M.S.

Qualified Virginia Tech undergraduates may begin earning graduate credit while completing the undergraduate major in Sociology. Students must apply and be accepted into the BA-MA program before the beginning of the semester in which graduate courses are taken. Graduate credit will not be granted retroactively.

Students enrolled in the accelerated BA-MA may double count up to 12 credits. Only 5000-level courses taken in last 12 months of BA may count toward both degrees. All requirements must be met for both the undergraduate major and the graduate degree, including the MS thesis or reading list exam.

Official Transcripts

Include a scanned copy of your transcripts with your online application, then arrange for an official copy to be sent to graduate admissions after you receive an offer of admission.

Department Graduate Testing Requirements

Official GRE is required for Africana Studies (M.S. in Sociology). Please have the testing agency send official scores to Virginia Tech Graduate School, code 5859.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required for Africana Studies (M.S. in Sociology). You can include references/recommendations email addresses in your online application, or have them send paper copies directly to Graduate School.

Writing Sample

Please provide academic writing sample.

Letter of Interest and Curriculum Vitae

A letter of interest (3-5 pages) is required by the Department of Sociology along with your latest Curriculum Vitae.

Please address the following questions in the letter of interest:

Why do you want to undertake graduate work?

Why do you qualify to pursue a graduate degree at Virginia Tech?

What do you expect to derive from your program of study?

If you have a concentration or area of interest in mind, briefly outline your interests in this area.

What do you expect to contribute as a student and subsequently as a member of the profession?

If you have not previously indicated in your application the names of faculty members you are interested in working with, please include that information in this statement.

Interview with the Members of Program Faculty

As a part of application, candidates are required to have an interview with members program faculty. If you are shortlisted, a faculty member will contact you by telephone or email to arrange an interview. You will then receive a formal email invitation outlining the format of the interview, giving names of individuals etc.

Applying as an International Student

International students might be required to submit TOEFL scores, immigration documents, and other additional materials with their application.

We require a minimum TOEFL score of 80 (IBT) or IELTS score of 6.5 for admission. Test scores should be sent to us using ETS institution code 5859.

Any Additional Information/Supporting Material

Applicants are welcome to submit any additional information with application material that would be useful in evaluation of your application.

Applying for Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

We offer fully funded graduate teaching assistantships for full time enrollment in the program. A question on the application for graduate admission asks whether you want to be considered for a teaching assistantship. Check yes, as all of our students are fully funded.

Application Fees

Degree-seeking students must include a $75 fee with their application, though check to see if you qualify for a waiver or reduced fee.

Submission Deadlines

Domestic Application

*Fall: August 1

International Application

*Fall: April 1

*Deadline for admission with full consideration for funding: January 15

Additional Notes

All admitted students must begin their graduate studies at Virginia Tech during the fall semester.

We begin review of applications in January. Students who wish to be considered for teaching or research assistantships will have the best chances for this award if their applications are complete by January. Admissions and assistantships are usually announced in March.

To apply to the Virginia Tech Sociology program select "Sociology" as your major. You will be able to select "Africana Studies Program Area" later in the online form.